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Leveling up is a crucial aspect of gameplay in Persona 5 Royal, and neglecting to do so can leave you struggling against formidable late-game bosses. Fortunately, Persona 5 Royal, being an enhanced version of the original game, introduces numerous quality-of-life improvements and adds over 20 hours of new content. This includes a new semester for the Phantom Thieves and refined mechanics for existing boss encounters. Staying on top of your team's levels is essential, especially with the wealth of new gameplay elements to explore.
Updated January 13, 2025 by Renri Seong: Over-leveling might make Persona 5 Royal too easy, but matching the level of Palace Rulers is vital, particularly when starting a new game. There are multiple strategies to expedite experience farming in P5R, ranging from utilizing Confidant Skills to leveraging Jose's abilities in Mementos. Additionally, Joker can gain EXP for his non-active Personas through a specific passive skill. This guide has been updated to include a section on using the Insta-kill ability to farm experience quickly.
Accessories and The Moon Arcana
Mishima Yuuki's Confidant
In Persona 5 Royal, players can enhance their experience gain by equipping the Team Glasses accessory, available as a free DLC from the PlayStation Store. This accessory boosts EXP gain by 15%, but each character must wear it to benefit. Since battles allow only Joker and three other Phantom Thieves to participate, those on the backline typically receive less experience.
To address this, players can increase the Moon Confidant (Yuuki Mishima) to Rank 3 and Rank 5, which allows backup team members to gain EXP. Reaching Rank 10 with Mishima's Confidant ensures that backup members earn as much EXP as those on the front lines. To progress Mishima's Confidant, choose dialogue options that resonate with him and bring a Persona of the Moon Arcana when spending time with him. Additionally, completing Mementos Missions assigned by Mishima is crucial for advancing his Confidant.
Mementos: Increase EXP Gain
Cognition of Mementos
Persona 5 Royal introduces a new character, Jose, who, while not central to the plot, greatly enhances gameplay. Within Mementos, players can collect "flowers" and "Stamp Stations," which can be traded with Jose for various rewards. In Jose's Shop, under the Cognition menu, players can opt to increase EXP, Money Rewards, or Item Rewards specifically within Mementos. Upgrading EXP gain to 110% requires 5 Stamps, while reaching the maximum 200% EXP gain costs 12 Stamps. There are 165 Stamps in total, but maximizing EXP Up requires 85 Stamps. Stamp Stations are hidden in "dead ends" behind breakable walls on Mementos floors, and players may encounter Jose when transitioning between floors.
Fight the Reaper
What Level is the Reaper?
The Reaper, a formidable foe in the Persona series, appears in Mementos when players linger too long on a floor. Warning signs include a blinking red screen, the sound of chains, and alerts from Morgana or Futaba. Early in the game, defeating the Reaper is nearly impossible unless you're on a New Game+ file, as it wields powerful -dyne tier spells and Support skills like Concentrate and elemental Breaks.
The Reaper is level 85 with exceptionally high stats, though its Agility is the lowest at 75. However, this is still sufficient to outpace under-leveled Phantom Thieves. Successfully defeating the Reaper yields substantial experience and money, often resulting in a level-up for all characters. It's advisable to confront the Reaper at level 60 or above, equipped with Defense-raising Support skills and Makarakarn to reflect its magic. Alternatively, if you have the Persona DLC with Izanagi-no-Okami (Picaro), you can stack Concentrate, Heat Riser, and use Myriad Truths for significant Almighty damage.
Defeat Treasure Demons
How to Summon Treasure Demons
Treasure Demons, unique Shadows first encountered in Madarame's Palace, begin appearing throughout the Metaverse after your initial encounter. Unlike typical Shadows, they are harmless but will flee after a few turns. Each type of Treasure Demon has distinct Affinity Weaknesses and Immunities, though all are susceptible to regular damage from Almighty attacks.
To defeat them before they escape, utilize Shinya's Rank 1 Ability, Down Shot, to down them and open them up for an All-Out Attack. Alternatively, high-crit attacks like Morgana's Miracle Punch can be effective if the Treasure Demon doesn't nullify Physical attacks. Treasure Demons are more likely to appear in Palaces with high security levels. Players can also craft the Treasure Trap infiltration tool, which boosts Treasure Demon encounters, using the following materials:
- 2x Silk Yarn
- 3x Plant Balm
- 1x Cork Bark
Use Persona with EXP Skills
How to Get Growth Passive Skill
Typically, Personas not equipped by Joker at the end of a battle do not earn EXP. However, Personas with the Growth Passive Skill can earn a percentage of battle EXP even when inactive. There are three levels of Growth Skills:
- Growth 1: Persona gains a quarter EXP when inactive.
- Growth 2: Persona gains half EXP when inactive.
- Growth 3: Persona gains full EXP when inactive.
The following Personas learn Growth at specific levels:
Growth 1:
- Saki Mitama (level 7)
- Koppa Tengu (level 12)
Growth 2:
- Lachesis (Innate)
- Kurama Tengu (level 36)
- Thoth (level 42)
- Ananta (level 47)
Growth 3:
- Izanagi (level 25)
- Izanagi Picaro (level 28)
- Narcissus (level 50)
- Raphael (level 81)
In Persona 5 Royal, once the Electric Chair is unlocked in the Velvet Room, players can transform Personas into Skill Cards. However, unlike in the original Persona 5, only Izanagi Picaro can be converted into a Growth Skill Card (Growth 3). Growth 1 Skill Cards are unavailable in P5R, while Growth 2 Skill Cards can be obtained by taking Caroline and Justine to Miura Beach from September 2nd to September 29th, after clearing event 6 (Sky Tower). Spend time with them by the Velvet Room Door outside Mementos during evenings.
Ryuji Sakamoto's Confidant
How to Unlock Insta-Kill
Insta-kill is a powerful skill that allows Joker to instantly defeat Shadows by ambushing them, provided his level is at least 10 levels higher than the target. In Persona 5 Royal, a successful Insta-kill not only defeats the Shadow but also grants items, yen, experience, and, if inventory permits, a Persona. Use Joker's Third Eye to identify Shadows with a green outline, indicating they are susceptible to Insta-kill.
To unlock Insta-kill, advance Ryuji Sakamoto's Confidant to Rank 7. Fortunately, Ryuji's Confidant has no Social Stat requirements, making it one of the easiest to max out. To expedite reaching Rank 7, spend time with Ryuji and select dialogue options that maximize your points, ideally before focusing on other Confidants.
